Coat hanger



Oct. 13, 1959 G. w. SCHRUNK COAT HANGER Filed May 1, 1957 Gerald W. Schrun/r IN V EN TOR. BY @guw M United States Patent Ofiice 2,908,428 Patented Oct. 13, 1959 2,908,428 COAT HANGER Gerald W. Schrunk, Grand Rapids, Minn. Application May 1, 1957, Serial No. 656,262 3 Claims. (Cl 223 88) This invention relates to a coat hanger and more particularly to a coat hanger which remains properly in place at all times when supporting a garment or when empty.

An object of the invention is to provide a coat hanger which is capable of maintaining its proper position regardless of whether it is in use or idle, the coat hanger having a coat hanger body which is mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis together with a support hung above the pivot and adapted to attach to an overhead hanger of the hanger assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical coat hanger of the type to be described, wherein the hanger may be displayed in the open, as in a classroom, and yet always maintains a neat and orderly appearance. Moreover, the hanger has wide application in connection with vehicles of one type or another in that the coat hanger tends always to remain in a proper orientation regardless of movements of the vehicle.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully herenafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coat hanger which is constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the coat hanger in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View at right angles to Figure 2.

In the accompanying drawing there is a coat hanger 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. The illustrated coat hanger has a body 12 made of plastic material and having angulated side rails 14 and 16 together with a connecting bot-tom rail 18, all of the rails preferably, but not necessarily, being of T-section. In addition, although the illustration is principally of plastic material it is within the purview of the invention to adopt other materials of construction.

A supporting web 20 extends diagonally across the inner confronting surfaces of the side rails 14 and 16 and has a trunnion or pivot pin 22 extending therethrough and protruding approximately parallel to the laterally extending ribs 24, the latter being curved to form upwardly opening pockets 26. 7 Support 28 has a lower bar 30 which is bifurcated as at 32 and which fits over the panel 34 that separates the pockets 26 from each other, this panel being the central part of web 20. There is enough clearance for the body 12 of the coat hanger to swing about the axis of pivot pin 22 until the bar 30 strikes the ribs 24 in order to facilitate the insertion and removal of the coat hanger from garments.

The support 28 has a generally U-shaped upstanding upper part 36 including opposite upright sides 40, 42

rising from a bottom 44 and terminating in hollow, upwardly converging, spaced apart top ends 60 and upright upper front and rear walls 48 transverse to said top ends 60 and integral therewith and with said sides 40, 42. An uprightcentral partition 38 in said upper part 36 rises from said bottom 44 and is formed integrally therewith and with said sides 40, 42 and said top ends 60 and is spaced from and extends between said front and rear walls 48. The front and rear walls 48 are provided with a pair of opposite upright central slots 50, 52 at opposite sides of the partition 38 respectively, either of which is adapted to receive an upright shank 54 inserted between said top ends 60. The shank 54 is provided at its lower end with an eye 56 adapted to fit upwardly between the sides 40, 42 from either side of the partition 38 with the shank 54 inserted in the slot 50 at the corresponding side of the partition 38 and with the eye 56 seated upwardly against said top ends 60, as shown in Figure 2. Then by merely dropping the coat hanger it will be gravity lowered with the eye 56 fitting snugly against and beneath the top 60 of the upper part 36 of the support between the partition 38 and the front or rear wall 48 depending on how the coat hanger is applied to the shank 54. This holds the support captive on shank 54, it being noted that both the front and rear faces of support 28 are constructed identically so that the coat hanger may be applied to the shank from either side of the support 28.

A clamp 64 is secured to the upper end of shank 54 and is adapted to be secured to a horizontal pole or adapted to be secured to any other support or structural member. It is understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the invention. For example, clamp 64 may be substituted by another type of clamp. All other modifications which fall within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A coat hanger comprising a coat hanger body having side rails and a bottom rail, a web connecting said side rails, ribs projecting outwardly from opposite surfaces of said web in the central portion thereof and contoured to form upwardly opening pockets, a support having a bifurcated lower part in which the central portion of the web is fitted, a pivot pin connecting said web to said bifurcated lower part whereby said rails are mounted for pivotal movement about the longitudinal axis of said pin, said support including an upper part secured to said lower part, said upper part having a pair of upright sides terminating in spaced apart upwardly converging top ends, said upper part having upper front and rear upright walls transverse to said top ends and provided with a pair of opposite upright central slots therein, said upper part further including an upright partition integral with and extending between said sides and between said top ends and also between and in spaced relation to said front and rear walls, and a shank fitting in either of said slots and between said top ends and sides and having an enlarged lower end fitting upwardly against said top ends and in between the partition and either of said front and rear walls.

2. A coat hanger comprising a coat hanger body having oppositely directed side rails, a web connecting said side rails, ribs projecting outwardly from opposite surfaces of said web in the central portion thereof and contoured to form upwardly opening pockets, a support having a bifurcated lower part in which the central portion of said Web is fitted, a pivot pin connecting said Web to said lower part whereby said rails are mounted for pivotal movement about the longitudinal axis of said pin, said support comprising a pair of upright sides terminating in spaced apart upwardly converging top ends and upper front and rear upright walls transverse to said ends and one having an upright central slot therein, said support-further including an upright partition interconnecting said s'idesandtop endsand spaced from the wall having theupright slot therein,-ancl a shank fitting in said slot and between-said top ends and having an enlarged lower end fitting upwardly between and against said top ends andbetween said partition and the wall having the slot "therein.

35 In' a coat hanger including a support having a lower=endyandoppositely directed side rails mounted on said lowerend-,-said supp0rt including a pair 0f--11pright sides-terminating in spaced apart inwardly converging top ends; and upper=front and-rear walls transverse to-said References Cited inthe file-of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,151,621 'Silverman, Mar. 21, 1939 2,239,304 Stell Apr. 22, 1941 2,460,438 Treiman Feb. 1, 1949 2,582,669 Battle Jan. 15, 1952 

